Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-31


Year Prfvfleges1
| WHAT DIFFERENT PsorLR THINK ABOUT n-rm sla-
YIFIcANcx OF LEAP-YRAR-EFFEcr ON TIE MEN
MARRIAGES IN TIE DRrARrNKNrs-
leap year. remarked q thoughtful observer
whose philosophic works are yet TO be published,
ain its popular sense recognizes the true relation
OF women to courJship."
THE STAR man, to whom the remark was ad.
dressed, said nothing. A philosopher needs no as.
| sistance to unravel himself.
There Is mistaken notion" he went on, "that
men have the initiative In matrimonial matters
The contrary IL true. The woman decides what
men shall ofYer themselves in marriage, and when
and where Since they enjoy this privilege all the
time, why should they be supposed to exercise II
one year only in every FOUR 1t is plain that the
year which has $3.50 days. No wonder then, that
leap.ye.r In the popular significance Is never Oh
The STAR man still pursued his policy OF silence
But when he had parted company with his philO-
sophie friend he determined TO inquire among
those who are supposed to be actively engaged In
as to whether ieap-ytar had any practical sisnif-
dar.
SIGNIFICANCE OF LEAr-YRAR
This question was put to a lady who moves about
In the fashionable society Of the capital She did
not seem to be particularly interested In the sub
! 1ect, and remarked, in an Indifferent tone:
II Imagine that every one who intends to get
married very soon have already gone to Baltimore.
There is where marriages are made at present."
"That is not an answer" maintained The STAR
man: What I asked was. Does lesp-year give
"Well. you know" was the reply, "that there
are ieap-year parties and other social novelties
which serve TO give variety TO the usual round OF
year. however. do not think amount 10 mucn.
No woman desires to have the liberty 70 make the
granted such a privilege, Of what avail would 1t
be II the woman had no opportunity to come in
In order to meet q ong-felt want, as the newspa-
pers say, leap-year should provide the means Of
bringing people together. Such an arrangement
would prove OF advantage TO our sex, and, In fact,
to both sexes, for, in my opinion In good match
the man gains more than woman. She makes it
possible for him to have home, she gives him So
cia position, and she renders his life outside Of
business hours pleasant and agreeable. All that
woman gets Is place to live food to eat, and
DEMENT'S TO be derived from marriage the converse
ton passed on to other topics.
VIEWS OF A YOUNG GIRL.
The inquiry was still pursued, and the next per-
son addressed was young and pretty girl.
'No. indeed" she said, with q toss OF the head,
II propose to no man, although Some Of them are
so slow that IL there was any anxiety about their
speaking one might wish that leap-year or some
other means might be devised to hurry them up.
AS method of acceleratiDg matrimOny as some
leap-year. man who would have TO be asked by
Q woman TO marry him has not enough decision TO
enable him TO give an answer. SO the poor wo-
man would be no better on than before"
THE EFFECT ON THE MEN.
81 think that it would be perfectly splendid, ~
gushed young girl, who was next encountered,
III it was only the thing to do. But you know no
one does It, and all the girls say that It would be
perfectly horrid. But 1t would be fun to hear what
the men would say. OF course they would have
TO accept, and some OF the girls would be perfect
Mormons, you know, because they would propose
to so many men. 1t would be good way TO be rid
OF some men, who are all the time getting so de-
vot and wanting TO be married. None OF the
girls In our set intend to get married for good
stupid to get married. don't you think so, and have
to be all the time with one man."
THE SOCIETY YOUNG MAN.
THE STAR man did not commit himself, and soon
after meeting young society man, asked him for
his opinion OF leap-year.
''Saves the men trouble and gratit1es the women.
for then they would be apt TO get the man they
want. The present arrangement causes good
deal OF trouble In society, You know, because men
are all the time asking the wrong women to marry
them and the women the wrong man. think
that women understand such matters better than
society would De paired OF very rapidly. There
would always be a contingent left Of both sexes,
composed Of those who never intend TO get mar
RED l woul belong to 1t myself, and If this
leap-year custom should go into effect and any
girl asked me TO marry her, would beg her TO ex-
cuse me, as ] have made other arrangements
But then. don't you know, there are lot OF men
and women who have the most
ROMANTIC NOTIONS ABOUT MARRIAGE.
Their future husband or wife, they say. must be
such person, and then they launch into a descrip-
ton OF some superior kind OF being that no one
has ever met with In this world. They are not
satisfied with the people with whom they live and
are associated with, but they are on the lookout
for some paragon. or course, as their search Is
confined World
what they are after. leap-year proposal might
save such people great deal OF disappointment"
WHAT A BACHELOR THINKS.
'There is no truth in this leap-year notion" ex-
claimed an old bachelor when the STAR man
preached the subject. "It is merely a woman's de-
vice to delude with the idea that they are free
agents in such matters. No one ever proposed to
me-" he added cOnclusively, and then after pause
he remarked grimly, 81 should like one of 'em 70
Try II once You never heard Of case where this
alleged privilege OF leap year was exercised There
IS no record OF such case. All that a woman
wants when she is matrimonally inclined Is an
opportunity, and my observation is til II she gen.
orally gets IL. Take, for example, the men and
women in the Government Departments where
am employed. Where the acquaintance Is general
and exists among number, but few marriages
occur. But when man Is thrown constantly into
the society OF woman by reason OF their respective
duties, the situation is entirely different as shown
by the results. Nine times out Of ten the man
marries the woman or rce cerso just as you please
to put II, unless OF course, the man is croSs-eyed
or Is already married. have prepared and will
submit to the Civil Service Commissioners an
amendment 10 the rules which is calculated to
counterfeit TO large extent this evil at least 1t
will throw certain safeguards about the man, who
consider is the p rsOn TO be protected in sucn
transaction. My amendment provides that when
two persons OF the opposite associated together
In their Official duties announce their intention
to marry, then the head OF the department shall
ut once
TRANSFER THE WOMAN
to another division, and shall put In her place an
unmarried female clerk. II within six months i'm
mediately following this woman does not undo the
work OF the first and suppant her in the affections
OF the man, then the marriage can take place with
q reasonable prospect that tue happiness OF both
parties Is assured. In this event 1t may reasOna-
bly, be concluded that the marriage Is OF choice
suit OF tue undue influence or the woman. II Is q
very severe test, admit and there are compare
lively out few engagements that could survf We
such an ordeal. The wisdom OF a provision or this
kind In the civ1l-Serytce rules WILL no doubt, be
acknowledged by all, and am confident that the
Commissioners Will accept the suggestion"
The old bachelor seemed to be very enthusiastic
over his scheme for introducing matrimonial bliss
into Department nfe and the listener was unwill-
Ing to revert again TO the subject OF eap-year. 1t
might be concluded from the opinions given above
that the ladies are not going TO exercise the al
legged privileges OF the year, and so the marragea
BILE men who have been looking to the new Year
with either apprehension or anticipation can un-
derstand that no change In the present methods OF
cOurtship is contemplated
->O>
Overcr0vvdiMg Street Cars
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR:
In reference to the Overcrowding Of street cars
ON the Columbia road, concerning which the COL
umns OF TIE STAR Of the 10Th contained the views